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V-22: Osprey or Albatross?

The V-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and
lands vertically like a helicopter but flies like an airplane when
its wing-mounted rotors are tilted to become propellers. Supporters
of the V-22 argue that it has the operational flexibility of a
helicopter but is twice as fast, can carry more troops, and has
five times the range. And unlike helicopters, the V-22 can fly to
its area of deployment and does not have to be transported, either
by ship or by cargo aircraft. Critics contend that the Osprey is
prohibitively expensive (which is why Secretary of Defense Richard
Cheney tried to cancel the program in 1989) and unsafe (the V-22
program has experienced four crashes, two of which killed 23
Marines). Moreover, they argue that existing helicopters, which the
services are already buying, can accomplish the same missions at
considerably lower cost.

The reality is that the V-22 is only marginally more capable
than helicopters in terms of speed, range, and payload but costs
four to five times as much. And despite more than 15 years of
development and $12 billion spent, the Osprey is still in a test
phase and nowhere near ready for operational deployment. Instead of
admitting that the V-22 program has failed and using the money to
buy proven helicopters for the same missions, the Marine Corps,
with considerable help from Congress, has kept the program
alive—continually trying to fix various problems. But at least one
problem—vortex ring state (VRS)—can never be fixed or eliminated.
And “flying around” the VRS problem by slowing the descent rate of
the V-22 makes the Osprey more vulnerable than helicopters (despite
claims that it is more survivable).

In short, the V-22 Osprey is an albatross around the Pentagon’s
and taxpayers’ necks. The program should be terminated.